On August 16, 1954, Sports Illustrated published its first-ever magazine. The new publication led with an article called the “The Golden Age is Now.”

Sixty-two years later, Sports Illustrated is one of the most famous sports publications in the world. And, now it has published perhaps its most golden magazine cover yet.

The cover photo of the August 22 edition of the magazine features U.S. Olympic gold medal swimmers Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps, and gold-medal gymnast Simone Biles. The cover reads: “The Greatests.”

The August 22 Sports Illustrated cover

Together, the three athletes won 16 Olympic medals in Rio de Janeiro. Thirteen of them are gold.

Shortly after the magazine released its “Greatests” cover this week, it became a trending topic on social media.

Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 28 medals. The 31-year-old won six medals in Rio, five of them gold. Nineteen-year-old Ledecky won four gold medals and a silver medal in Rio.

And first-time Olympian Biles, also 19, won four golds and one bronze medal. She tied the record for most gold medals won in one Olympics by a woman gymnast.

Phelps wrote on his Facebook page that it was an “honor” to share the cover with Ledecky and Biles.

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Sports Illustrated wrote that the photoshoot took place Sunday evening in Rio. Biles had just won her third of four gold medals of the Games.

People on social media called the three athletes “heroes” and “superstars.”

And that’s What’s Trending Today.

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Words in This Story

athlete - n. a person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical skill and strength

medal - n. a piece of metal often in the form of a coin with designs and words in honor of a special event, a person, or an achievement